Garment shaper



Jan. 21, 1930. i c, fiou 1,744,515

GARMENT SHAPER Filed July 18, 1928 Patented Jan. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT SHAPER Application filed July 18, 1928. Serial No. 293,654.

' tions of coats or the like.

Heretofore, as is well known in the art, in pressing the free front portions of garments by hand or by machines of the Hoffman patent type, it has been customary to place the garment upon a substantially flat surface and to then apply a heated presser member thereto, which method results in the free front edges of the garment, viz: that portion of the garment adjacent the buttons or buttonholes, assuming substantially right angle position to the body of the wearer. This method of pressing garments has resulted, for example, in giving stout persons a more conspicuous appearance, as the same tends to produce the illusion that the body is larger than is actually the case, when viewed from the side.

The foregoing objectionable features of the old method applicant has overcome by the present device, an important object of which'is to provide a shaper of the above named character, whereby a coat or the like may be pressed so that the same will conform more nearly to the shape of the human body than with known mechanism, thus en suring a neater, more graceful and well groomed appearance to the person of the wearer.

A further objectof the invention is to provide a device of the above named character whereby coats when pressed, may be shaped so as to conform the same more nearly to the contour of the abdomen of the wearer than is possible with the known devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will permit of the free front portions of a garment being shaped and stretched while the same are being pressed, regardless of the size of the garment.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above named character which is of simple construction, eiiicient in use and one which may he manufactured at reasonable cost.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent throughout the course of the following description, and drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the device;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing a section of a garment rolled thereon;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of a modified form of the invention, and

Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of still another form of the invention showing a section of a garment rolled thereon, in dotted lines.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 6 designates a body member of preferably cylindrical shape formed of any suitable material, which will withstand the effects of heat and moisture, said member being provided at its opposite ends with stop flanges 7. Mounted for axial sliding movement on the member 6 are a series of independent sleeve-like members 8, 9 and 10, the inner ends of the members 8 and 10 being adapted to engage with the opposite ends of the sleeve 9. Disposed between the outer ends of the sleeves 8 and 10 and the stop flanges 7 are coil springs 11 adapted to urge the sleeves 1&3 and 10 inwardly against the sleeve mem- In shaping a garment, the latter, designated 12, is placed upon a substantially flat surface with the lining thereof facing up wa-rdly and dampened as by the application of steam thereto. In operation of the form disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, one of the free front edges of the garment is rolled upon the device as shown in Fig. 3, and the operator clasps one end portion of the rolled fabric against the sleeve 8 and the opposite end portion of the fabric'against the sleeve 10. The sleeves 8 and 10 with the fabric clasped thereto, are then moved in opposite directions axially of the body member 6 against the springs 11, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 5, to thereby stretch the rolled portion of the garment. If so desired, the

garment need not be preliminarily dampened but while the same is held in its rolled and stretched position the same may be dampened by the application of steam thereto by any suitable means. This treatment is applied to both edges of the garment. Thus the free front edges of the garment when removed from the shaper and placed upon the body of the wearer have substantially inwardly rolled ends which tend to assume the contour of the body of the wearer.

The stretching operation is permitted regardless of whether or not the garment is in a damp condition, due to the fact that any tendency of the garment to stick will occur at the central sleeve which latter will move in the direction of the greatest pull and will be counteracted by the independent sliding movement of such sleeve.

The modified form of the invention disclosed in Fig. 4 comprises a body member 13 having a stop flange M formed on its outer free end. The inner end portion of the body 13 is telescopically disposed within a sleevelike member 15 having its free end closed as at 16 and has a free portion extending beyond the sleeve 15. The inner end of the member 13 is provided with an eye member 17 alined with a similar member 18 secured to the inner face of the closed end 16 of the member 15. Connecting the eye members 17 and 18 is a coil spring 19 which is adapted to retract the member 13 within the sleeve 15.

The modified form of the invention disclosed in Fig. 5 consists of an elongated preferably cylindrically shaped body 20, which has a smooth surface so as to permit free sliding of the garment thereon in stretching same.

The operation of the modified forms of the invention as disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5 is substantially similar to that of the form shown in Fig. 1, viz: the free front edges of a garment are rolled upon the form and then stretched axially thereof by grasping the end of the rolled portion of the coat and then exerting a pull in opposite directions as shown by the arrows in Fig. 5, and retaining the garment in its rolled and stretched position until set. The spring members will then urge the sleeve members into engagement with each other when the garment is removed from the form. In the use of the form disclosed in Fig. l, the free front edge of the garment is rolled thereon, and one end portion thereof is clasped against the sleeve 15 while the opposite end is clasped against the free portion of the body member 13. The further operation of this form is identical with that disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A garment shaper, comprising a cylindrical body member, a plurality of sleeve members arranged in end-to-end relation on said body member, said sleeve members being adapted for separation in an axial direction, and means disposed between the body member and sleeve members to return the latter to their initial positions.

2. A garment shaper, comprising a cylindrical body member having a stop flange at each of its ends, a plurality of independent sleeve members arranged 011 said body member in end-to-end abutting relation and adapted for separation in an axial direction outwardly, and spring means disposed between the stop flanges and the free ends of the sleeve members to return the latter to their initial positions.

3. In a garment shaper, a body member, sleeve members carried by said body member and adapted for separation, whereby to shape and stretch a garment, and means disposed between said body and sleeve members to return the latter to their initial positions.

l. In a garment shaper, a body member, a sleeve member slidable on said body member and disposed for movement relative to the latter when the same are moved axially in opposite directions and means disposed between said members to return the same to their initial positions whereby a garment rolled about the body and sleeve members is stretched axially of said rolled portion to conform the garment to the body of the wearer.

5. A garment shaper, comprising a body member, a plurality of independent members arranged on said body member in abutting relation and adapted for axial separation, and means disposed between the body and sleeve members to return the latter to their initial positions whereby to shape and stretch a garment to conform to the body of a wearer.

6. A garment shaping form comprising a plurality of members arranged in end-to-end relation and adapted for axial separation whereby to shape and stretch a garment, and means to return the members to their initial positions.

7 A garment shaping form comprising a plurality of elongated members connected together and adapted for partial separation when moved axially in one direction, and means to return the members to their initial positions, whereby a garment rolled upon said members may be stretched axially of said rolled position to conform the same to the body of a wearer.

8. The method of shaping the free front portions of a garment or the like, which consists in rolling the said front portions, and then stretching the garment axially of the rolled portion, whereby the latter when released is shaped to conform to the body of the wearer.

9. The method of shaping the free front portions of a garment or the like which consists in preliminarily dampening the garment, rolling the said front portions, stretching the latter axially of the rolled portion, and retaining said portion in its rolled and stretched position until set whereby said rolled and stretched portion when released is shaped to conform to the body of the wearer.

10. The method of shaping the free front portions of a garment or the like which consists in rolling the said front portions, then dampening the rolled portion, stretching the garment axially of the rolled portion, and retaining the latter in its rolled and stretched position until the same is set whereby the lat ter when released is shaped to conform to the body of the wearer.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

AUGUST C. THOUR. 

